Oral Health in the Down Syndrome Population: Parental Perceptions on Dental Care in the United States.

Purpose: To assess the oral health status of children with Down syndrome (DS) in the United States and evaluate the oral health needs of families with DS. Methods: Among 320 parents who consented to participate, 260 (81.2 percent) surveys were completed. A survey was distributed through the National Down Syndrome Society to parents of children with DS up to age 21 years, which asked questions about children's general and oral health. Results: Parents who reported that their children had difficulty rinsing and spitting were more likely to report their child's overall general health as poor (P<0.05). Parents' frequency of daily toothbrushing was similar to their children's toothbrushing habits (P<0.05). Conclusions: Dysphagia for children with Down syndrome may negatively impact oral health in addition to general health. Encouraging parental involvement in oral care for children with DS may lower their risk for oral disease. Continued support is needed to ensure dental school education includes training for the treatment and management of patients with DS.

Compliance of Special Health Care Needs and Healthy Pediatric Patients with Preventive Visits after Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia.

Purpose: To identify compliance of special health care needs and healthy pediatric patients with preventive dental appointments after treatment under general anesthesia (GA).
Methods: Records of special health care needs (SHCN) patients treated under GA in 2015 and 2016 were reviewed. The control group consisted of randomly selected healthy patients also treated under GA in the same time period and hospital. Patient demographics were compared, and the number of preventive visits was recorded for 24 months after GA.
Results: The sample consisted of 141 SHCN patients and 142 healthy children. The average number of preventive visits post-GA appointment was 2.74 out of a recommended nine visits over two years for the study population. There was a statistically significant difference in the level of compliance based on age and referral source, but there was no difference based on health status.
Conclusion: Compliance with preventive dental visits after treatment under GA among all pediatric patients, regardless of health status, must be improved. Caregivers must be further educated to implement change and barriers to care must be explored.

The Impact of an Interprofessional Pediatric Oral Health Clerkship on Advancing Interprofessional Education Outcomes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative pediatric interprofessional education clinical experience using oral-systemic health as the clinical population example for improving the self-reported interprofessional competencies of family nurse practitioner, dental, and medical students. The objectives of the interprofessional experience were for students to apply pediatric oral health assessment, identify the pediatric oral-systemic connection, and practice a team-based approach to improve oral-systemic outcomes. In spring 2015, fall 2015, and spring 2016, a total of 162 family nurse practitioner, dental, and medical students participated in this interprofessional experience at Bellevue Pediatric Outpatient Clinics together with a pediatric dental resident. Team members collaborated in reviewing the patient chart, taking the patient's medical and dental history, performing an oral assessment, applying fluoride varnish, and providing education and anticipatory guidance. The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) was used as a pretest and posttest to evaluate the degree to which students perceived changes in their attitudes about interprofessional competencies following the learning experience. In the results, all students had improved mean scores from pretest to posttest after the experience, and these changes were statistically significant for all students: nurse practitioner (p<0.01), dentistry (p<0.01), and medicine (p<0.001). The mean change from pretest to posttest was statistically significant for each of the six interprofessional competency domains (p<0.01). In both pediatric dental and primary care settings, the changes from pre- to posttest were significant (p<0.001). The experience was similarly effective for all groups of students in increasing their attitudes about interprofessional collaboration. These findings suggest that a clinical approach can be an effective strategy for helping health professions students develop interprofessional competence.

Caries outcome following an intensive fluoride varnish treatment regimen for children at high risk for early childhood caries.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the caries relapse rate for a cohort of 2- to 4-year-old children at high risk of early childhood caries when treated with an intensive fluoride varnish (FV) regimen. METHODS: Eighty paediatric patients were recruited. Forty of these patients were high risk and received the FV treatment (three applications within 2 weeks and additional applications at 1 and 3 months) during 2009-2010. Mutans streptococci (MS) levels in the saliva were evaluated during the treatment period. A comparative group of 40 children, selected from an electronic record search at the New York University College of Dentistry to be of similar age, gender, and ethnicity, but not at elevated risk for ECC, received the standard of care (semi-annual FV treatment). Detailed caries examination and treatment records were obtained for all patients from 2009 to 2014. RESULTS: A significant reduction (P < 0.001) in MS levels was observed in the intensive FV treatment group at the 3-month visit compared with baseline. There was no effect of the intensive FV treatment on caries outcome in the anterior teeth, and the overall caries scores were significantly increased on the posterior teeth. CONCLUSION: The intensive FV regimen appears insufficient to prevent caries relapse in children at high risk for caries.

Analysis of InsureKidsNow.gov dental providers in New York State.

PURPOSE: Study purposes were to: (1) validate information of New York State (NYS) pediatric dental Medicaid/CHIP providers registered on InsureKidsNow.gov (IKN); and (2) compare dental access to available IKN pediatric dental Medicaid provider locations by NYS region and population density of young children in poverty Methods: Information on 4,634 dental provider locations was obtained by collapsing 21,921 listings; 160 locations were randomly telephoned to verify consistency and provision of pediatric restorative treatment. Dental provider locations to poor child population ratios were compared. RESULTS: Over 90 percent of locations were in less than a third of NYS counties. New York City/Long Island locations had 5.68 higher odds of accepting new pediatric patients compared to locations in the rest of NYS. Of phone numbers called, 22 percent were invalid. Nearly 40 percent of valid calls were inconsistent with IKN. Over 90 percent of counties had at least one IKN dentist. The median child-in-poverty to provider ratio was 85:1. CONCLUSIONS: Improved oversight of InsureKidsNow.gov is required to ensure validity and usefulness. Research on the quantity and type of child Medicaid/CHIP dental procedures in private practice is needed to accurately assess dental access.

An interprofessional collaborative approach in the development of a caries risk assessment mobile tablet application: My Smile Buddy.

BACKGROUND: Given the rising trend in early childhood caries (ECC) and the wide disparities that exist in pediatric oral health, risk assessment for ECC has become increasingly important. The purpose of this paper is to describe lessons learned from an Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) approach in the planning, development, and pilot testing of an electronic interactive ECC risk assessment application--My Smile Buddy (MSB). METHODS: Five focus groups were conducted during the assessment and development phases of MSB. Community Health Workers (CHW) then facilitated MSB with 35 mothers from the local community. RESULTS: MSB was well accepted by mothers and scored well in usability and usefulness by CHWs. Lessons learned during MSB development included recognizing CHW understanding of local community attitudes regarding oral health and access to dental care and that power-sharing is required in order to create an intervention that is both engaging and accepted by the community.

Effectiveness of an oral health program in improving the knowledge and competencies of head start staff.

PURPOSE: Head Start and Early Head Start (HS/EHS) programs have partnered with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry to promote oral health and increase access to dental homes. Preparing HS/EHS staff for issues related to pediatric oral health promises to improve effectiveness of this collaboration. This paper's purpose was to describe the Columbia Head Start Oral Health Program (C-HSOHP) and changes in HS/EHS staff pediatric oral health knowledge and competencies after participating in C-HSOHP. METHODS: Four HS/EHS grantees in New York City engaged in the 2008-09 C-HSOHP. A convenience sample of 61 staff completed pre- and postself assessments of knowledge and competencies. RESULTS: Significant paired mean improvements were found for staff-reported level of preparation to explain dental issues during pregnancy, the tooth decay process, and preparing parents for their child's first dental visit. Significant improvements were found in staff confidence in teaching parents about children's oral health issues, referring for pediatric dental services, and talking to a dentist about a concern. CONCLUSIONS: The Columbia Head Start Oral Health Program was effective in improving Head Start/Early Head Start staff self-confidence and self-perceived preparedness in teaching parents about oral health, applying oral health knowledge to HS/EHS programs, communicating with dental professionals, and improving access to pediatric dental services.

Caries experience among Chinese-American children in Manhattan Chinatown.

There is little research on the oral health status of Chinese-American (CA) children in the U.S. and Asian/Pacific Islanders in general. The purpose of this study was to characterize the dental caries experience of a CA child population in Manhattan Chinatown, New York City. A five-year chart review of 545 initial dental exams of patients aged 2 to 11 was conducted at a community clinic serving an immigrant CA population. DMFT/dft were compared to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and analyzed for associations among birthplace, language and untreated tooth decay at recall. Subject mean dft was higher compared to NHANES data both in aggregate and ethnic/race subgroups. Subjects had lower DMFT ccmpared to the national data. Significant difference was found between U.S. and non-U.S.-born mean dft. Asian Pacific Islander Americans include a fast-growing immigrant pediatric population at high risk for tooth decay.

Evaluation of behavior change goal-setting action plan on oral health activity and status.

This experimental study determined if a "report card-like" oral health action plan was effective in improving oral health behaviors in a sample of 69 patients, ages 1 to 6 years. Participants were divided randomly into control and intervention groups. Data collected included dmft, plaque score, Streptococcus mutans levels and oral health behaviors. Participants in the intervention group received an oral health action plan that included: 1. child's current caries-risk status; 2. identification issues of concern; and 3. one "goal" to improve on for the next visit. All participants returned after two months for follow-up examination and data collection.

Alternative careers in pediatric dentistry: a survey of pediatric dental residents.

Pediatric dentistry has enjoyed growing popularity in recent years, yet there remains a need for leadership in academe, research, and public health. In November 2008, the first Maternal and Child Health Bureau-sponsored regional Leadership in Pediatric Dentistry convocation was held at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine. Seventy-two pediatric dentistry trainees from thirteen programs in the New York City area participated in interactive presentations and exercises. Of the sixty- seven participants who completed a pre-event survey, 93 percent stated they would likely or very likely pursue careers that involved, at least in part, private practice, 55 percent in care of children in Medicaid, 51 percent academics, 36 percent dental public health, and 12 percent research. Barriers related to finances, competence, or work environment/location were perceived by 83 percent for careers involving research, 73 percent for dental public health, 66 percent for providing care to children in Medicaid, 46 percent for academics, and 9 percent for private practice. Results of a pair of pre-event and post-event surveys completed by sixty-three attendees showed no change in reported likelihood to pursue a career alternative except for an increase in the likelihood of working in a practice that accepts Medicaid. The challenge before dental educators is to provide consistent and meaningful opportunities throughout training that encourage residents to consider all career options and to discover how their individual interests mesh with their clinical learning.

Bisphenol A and related compounds in dental materials.

CONTEXT: Dental sealants and composite filling materials containing bisphenol A (BPA) derivatives are increasingly used in childhood dentistry. Evidence is accumulating that BPA and some BPA derivatives can pose health risks attributable to their endocrine-disrupting, estrogenic properties. OBJECTIVES: To systematically compile and critically evaluate the literature characterizing BPA content of dental materials; to assess BPA exposures from dental materials and potential health risks; and to develop evidence-based guidance for reducing BPA exposures while promoting oral health. METHODS: The extant toxicological literature and material safety data sheets were used as data sources. RESULTS: BPA is released from dental resins through salivary enzymatic hydrolysis of BPA derivatives, and BPA is detectable in saliva for up to 3 hours after resin placement. The quantity and duration of systemic BPA absorption is not clear from the available data. Dental products containing the bisphenol A derivative glycidyl dimethacrylate (bis-GMA) are less likely to be hydrolyzed to BPA and have less estrogenicity than those containing bisphenol A dimethacrylate (bis-DMA). Most other BPA derivatives used in dental materials have not been evaluated for estrogenicity. BPA exposure can be reduced by cleaning and rinsing surfaces of sealants and composites immediately after placement. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the proven benefits of resin-based dental materials and the brevity of BPA exposure, we recommend continued use with strict adherence to precautionary application techniques. Use of these materials should be minimized during pregnancy whenever possible. Manufacturers should be required to report complete information on the chemical composition of dental products and encouraged to develop materials with less estrogenic potential.

Update on disparities in oral health and access to dental care for America's children.

This contribution updates federal survey findings on children's oral health and dental care since release of Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General in 2000. Dental caries experience continued at high levels, impacting 40% of all children aged 2 to 11 years, with greater disease and untreated disease burden borne by poor and low-income children and racial/ethnic minorities. Caries rates increased for young children (to 28% of 2- to 5-year-olds in the period 1999-2004) and remained flat for most other ages. The total volume of caries and untreated caries increased as the numbers of children increased. The proportion of US children with a dental visit increased modestly (from 42% to 45% between 1996 and 2004), with the greatest increases occurring among children newly covered by the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Disparities in dental visits continued to be evidenced by age, family income, race/ethnicity, and caregiver education. Parental reports of children's oral health and dental care parallel these findings and also reveal higher unmet dental needs among children with special health care needs. Racial- and income-based disparities in both oral health and dental care continue into adolescence and young adulthood. These disparities can, as in the past, be expected to exacerbate under the forces of growing income disparities and demographic trends.

Regional odontodysplasia. A case report.

Regional odontodysplasia (RO) is an unusual, non-hereditary anomaly of the dental hard tissues with characteristic clinical, radiographic and histological findings. Etiology is unknown, and treatment, while varied, should be appropriate for each individual's clinical findings. In the case reported here, a 2-year-old female was diagnosed with RO. Extractions were performed under general anesthesia. Clinical, radiographic, and histological findings are described.